Mwanga & Burasa (Zoketi & Malenga)

[Malenga]

Zoketi's Characters
Mwanga

Malenga's Characters
Burasa

[Malenga]

Each individual arrived into the village carefully but victoriously. They were spotted by the women and other men of their tribe, and were welcomed loudly and affectionately. Some of the warriors were greeted by their wives and children, others by their mothers and fathers. Meanwhile, the most noted warrior of them all arrived with no romantic reception or friendly rejoice in his return. At least not right away. Burasa walked steadily past the crowds of dark humans with the striped horse strapped firmly to his back. Burasa was tall enough so that the catch wouldn't drag on the ground except for it's tail.

He noticed attention was on him now, and looked around. Many of the females gathered around, stroking their lion's thick and well groomed mane, their fingernails clicking against the beads in his hair. Though Burasa didn't know what they were saying, he took their smiles and gentle pats as a sign that he had done well and he had once again earned his place here in the village. They then turned their heads to look at who Burasa knew to be in charge: Tsalani. The lion knew he had to respect this authority in hopes to stay in this place he called home. Tsalani was a graceful, king-like sir with regal features with a body that demanded respect (otherwise, you knew you'd get a stern fist more than a stern word). Not even 507-pounds-of-muscle would want to go against 289-pounds-of-rock-hard-pecs-and-abs Tsalani.

As he was instructed usually, and from what African he was able to pick up on, he was to take the kill and place it by the fire so the cooks could prepare it for the others in the village. Burasa did just that without complaints as he knew he had his own food back by the farming lands. Eagerly, he put the zebra down receiving smiles from the cooks and he wandered off. He knew he had some delicious antelope from this morning to finish off, and then he would settle in with the livestock once more and continue his duty of guarding them. Just like he had been doing for the past four and a half years.

[Zoketi]

The scent of freshly-killed zebra swept across the young lioness's nostrils. Startled, she halted right where she was and pricked up her ears. Curiosity aroused, Mwanga lifted her head and scanned the savannah with pale mint-green orbs. The grass expanse was relatively empty, except for the brown mounds of the human village in the near distance. They must have gone hunting and brought down a zebra. Knowing better than to interact with a human pride, she focused her sense of smell away despite the enticing aroma that wafted around.

She crested a small hill and paused again, surveying the land once more. She could see the faint smudges of the humans returning home. There was one large smudge that puzzled her--was that a lion? Immediately she widened her eyes and took a slight step forwards to look more closely. It was a lion! Mwanga swished her tail, thoroughly confused but even more interested than before. Humans in general were oddities that always amused her, but having a full-grown male lion calmly among them was certainly out of the ordinary more than normal.

Mwanga was a good distance away right now, and she didn't plan on getting too close--just enough to observe for a bit to see if she could satisfy some of her curiosity. She set off down the slight incline at a gentle trot, her tail flicking in her movements. Her eyes focused forwards, she moved easily along in the general direction of the human village.

The light cream-red lioness slowed to a quick-stepped walk. She was still far enough that most of the humans would not really notice her among the grass, but she could get a good view of what she was looking at now.

[Malenga]

Burasa walked through the village. He noticed the faces of others light up when he passed, chirping at him and bidding their "Welcome home!"s. All he simply did was purr back at them, a few receiving gentle nuzzles to their chests. The children got a nudge to the face whilst he smiled and walked past them. The women of the village usually stopped him, pulling his mane to their crafts, as they placed more beads in his mane. He didn't complain, as he just rolled over onto his back and let his paws fall into his chest whilst they laughed and combed his mane thoroughly, combining it with the rainbow. When they were done, they tapped his tattooed shoulder and he left them.

Walking past the chief, he was usually quite quiet and gentle with his movements. He knew how the chief was not one to like him in the first place, and was always looking for a reason to tell the village how he was a wild animal and he was going to attack everyone one day. Burasa had no intention in his mind, of course, but not like the leader knew that. They didn't communicate in a language they both agreed on.

As Burasa neared the cliff he was so partial to be sat upon, he let himself fall to his stomach and let the large paws of his hang over the edge. He had the perfect view of the Savannah. The trees were laced together in huge clumps like green clouds over the brown and yellow grass, the cattle were perfectly positioned in his view so he could take one leap and catch whatever was going to try and take them away, and the sun was placed right over the mountains, setting over the mountains to make them look black. He sighed out once, his ear flicking once before he smiled over the evening lands.

But when Burasa's nose signaled he wasn't alone, the lion pushed his neck out as far as it would go and he looked around slowly. He wasn't going to miss anything with his one good eye. Although, it was tough to notice any lions with his eye sights, and the obvious large cats being able to blend in with the landscape. Though once he glued his eye to the bushes where he felt something was looking at him, he kept himself concentrated there. Sure enough, with his concentration, he noticed a golden head with bright eyes. He kept his eyes there, aware he looked like a threat.

[Zoketi]

Her eyes followed the large lion as he crested a cliff-hill and settled on the very edge. He was facing her general direction, and she knew that eventually she would be spotted. Her fur didn't blend too well with the grass--though it was better than some felines, sure. And if she moved at all he'd spot her right away. For the moment she stayed very still and watched warily as the lion gazed over his domain--for it was obviously familiar terrain to him. Again she was more curious than ever, eager to find out why he wanted to stay with humans and be some sort of hunting or guarding aide to them. Personally she did not care for human beings and did not find them suitable companions. However, they were very strange and she did find herself highly interested in things they did at times.

Mwanga twitched her tail as she felt searching eyes rest on her. She tensed instinctively and drew her gaze back towards the strange lion, for that was whom she guessed had seen her. She was right, and their gazes met quickly. His head was shoved forwards and his mane full and bushy and his expression betrayed no sort of emotion other than slight wariness. She knew that her own would display a hint of fear, for despite her calmness there was a flickering of uneasiness in her minty green eyes like shoals of fish reflecting light in water.

She was positive that he would make some move to send her away if she continued to stand there. She was probably in his domain anyway, or at least close to it. Mwanga didn't remember finding any scent markings. She may not have crossed a boundary line yet, then. But still. The lion could see her as a threat to the humans he defended, or to the cattle that meandered in the pastures. Of course, she had plans for attacking neither of these, especially the humans themselves. The cattle might taste lovely, but they were too big for a slim young lioness like herself to take down--on her own, at least. She lowered her head slightly and pinned her ears only a little bit. More out of nervousness than anger or terror. Mwanga wasn't willing to just run off yet. She'd like to see if she could maybe speak to this lion, find out about why he lived here.

Out of careful respect she took a few steps back and blinked at him. She didn't want to make noise, for it would have to be loud for him to hear and that would probably alert the humans as well. But she wondered if she could draw him over here, without enticing an attack. Either way, he would probably stalk over here to chase her off eventually. Mwanga shuffled her paws and tried to look less threatening, which was quite easy for her to do seeing as she had trouble making herself look the opposite.

[Malenga]

He noticed her backing away, and maybe that's what intrigued him. Surely if she wanted, she could go after the cattle and make her way with them. She was probably a lot quicker than he was, but in no way stronger than him. Burasa continued to stare at her for a while longer. When she began to get further out of his sights, the lion picked himself up and jumped down from his perch. A loud thud came into contact with his ears and he walked slowly through the cattle.

They cleared way through the herd, often hearing mooing as they were interrupted with their feast of grasses and flowers. He didn't care, nor did he make quick movements to scare them. He didn't want to alert the cattle, nor the villagers.

Instead of walking into the bushes to make her run or questioning of his position towards her, the lion stopped and stared at where she was. He could smell her now, and he could feel her on the other side. His one paw remained in the air, dangling in curiosity whilst his tail whipped side to side. His body remained still. As he was becoming unable to hold himself in that position for much longer, his paw was placed back down on the ground smoothly whilst he followed the pursuit of his foot by placing himself down on the ground. His stomach was poked with dead grass. With his one paw gently resting on the other, his hind legs stayed awkwardly crouched. His good eye was on the bush, so his head was jarred a little to the left like he was looking out at the trees. His tail thrashing behind him. He kept his ears perked, unknowing if she was part of a secretly placed pride.

[Zoketi]

And so he was coming to investigate her appearance. Mwanga stopped moving and watched as he made his way through the cattle field and towards her. His pace was slow and easy as if he was not worried about her at all, which she supposed was expected. She didn't want to flee now, though she was a bit concerned of what he would do about her, if anything at all. Her tail gave a slight quiver with apprehension, rustling the leaves of the bushes she had stopped next to. She kept her gaze trained on the lion as he moved towards her, his steady padding drawing out her tension.

When he had reached her bushes, Mwanga stood stock still with her eyes darting in his direction. She was on her paws, tense, while he was more relaxed--and even now laying down! Well, it was his land. He had nothing to fear from a little lioness such as herself. Unless she had a pride to call on her aide. Which she didn't, but he didn't know that. She listened to the quietness of the savannah, marred only by the twitching of the lion's tail and her own deep breaths. She tried to silence them a bit, hoping that she didn't sound freaked out. Once she had gotten herself more under control she stepped a paw forwards and pricked her ears. Mwanga carefully tilted her head around the end of the bush so she could better look at the stranger.

She gazed with wide, half-curious and half-fearful eyes. "Erm...hello." she meowed, not wanting to continue staring at him in awkward silence. She wasn't frightened of talking to him, so long as that was the only thing they did.

[Malenga]

"Hello," he replied.

As Burasa lay there, his posture upright and his eyes focused, he watched the lioness from what she showed him. It wasn't that much. He could note the bright eyes he sighted from back atop his perch and he remembered her light colour, but as he was now closer to her he noticed the significant markings she bared on her head. She probably had more if he could see them from past the bush.

As the lion continued to look at her, he occasionally would turn his head to make sure the cattle were settled and safe. The sound of the beads in his hair made clicks against one another. But sooner or later, he would turn his head back over to her to see if she would say anything.

[Zoketi]

Initially Mwanga relaxed, listening to his calm voice made her think that there wasn't any danger from this male. Still, she didn't completely settle down, her muscles still slightly tensed and her ears twitching back and forth. She gazed warily at him, her eyes flicking up and down his mildly eccentric appearance. He seemed entirely at ease, so she flicked her tail around her haunches and tried to relax fully. "You live with them?" she asked. She immediately ducked her head, embarrassed for asking such an obvious question.

The creamy-peach lioness inched forwards a few paces, emerging more from the other side of the bush. She wanted to get a better look at him, as much as he probably was curious about her. She scooted until more than half of her was in view and gazed at him, hoping he didn't think she was too dumb for saying that. "Why?" she mewed in a quieter tone, her eyes flicking towards the village before returning to the lion.